This invention relates to apparatus for separating immiscible components of different densities mixed in a fluid.
It is often necessary to separate immiscible components, including solids, mixed in a fluid. An example is the separation of oil and oily solids mixed with water. Before the water can be discharged, the oily components must be separated and removed.
Plate separators are known which include undulating or corrugated plates stacked in a spaced apart configuration to effect separation. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,847,813; 3,957,656; 4,278,545, and 4,299,706. In all of these separators, substances such as oil which are less dense than a host fluid such as water migrate upwardly while denser components such as solids drift downwardly. In the configuration shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,545, lighter components such as oil pass heavier solid components after they have reached the separator plate surfaces. In passing, the components often mix once again diminishing the efficiency of the separator. Furthermore, sludge may form which clogs the spaces between the plates.